The Outcomes Star is designed to enable services to take an overview of their achievements by providing valuable data on the outcomes of service users. It opens the possibility of comparing outcomes for different types of service user (e.g. men and women) or different services or interventions. However, to use the data in this way, it is essential that the data collected on individual service users is summarised across the service on a regular basis.

 

See the briefing on Making the Most of Your Outcomes Star Data for detailed information.

Also see information on the research project to validate the Outcomes Star as a data collection tool.

The Star Chart provides a rich source of data that can be summarised in different ways.

 

The Outcomes Star System is an online tool that allows you to enter and view your Star data for individuals, and also produce reports across different projects. 

If your organisation has an IT system, you should aim to incorporate Star data alongside other information on service users and interventions. Star data is already being recorded in this way on IT systems such as Link, a web-based client recording system used by a number of homelessness organisations.

However, if you do not have an IT system you can analyse Star data on a basic spreadsheet. You could use the Number Cruncher Excel tool provided by Triangle Consulting.

 

For an example of the applications and benefits of collating Outcomes Star data across similar services, read St Mungos excellent research briefing, which outlines the results of their first Outcomes Star research comparing Star data for 122 hostel residents.

Page added: 12 March 2007
Last updated: 25 November 2009